The Logistics Linchpin with Andrew Clark
Kyle MacNaught • 55 min listen • July 17, 2020
In this episode, Consulting Logistics host, Kyle MacNaught, will chat with Andrew Clark, founder of Logistics Help. Andrew is on a mission to help small to mid-size enterprises implement high-performance tactics and technology to their supply chain, so they can scale up without stress. Andrew is passionate about logistics and how getting this element right in business can help elevate them to the next level. In this conversation we will discuss:
- Coronavirus and eCommerce
- Sell more with less stock - How inventory planning holds the key to improved profitability
- Speed Sells – Keep your customers coming back with fast, accurate and reliable order fulfillment
Tell us a bit about yourself and where you started.
Andrew started in footwear manufacturing and fell in love with operations management. He then decided he wanted a career change and moved to pharmaceutical manufacturing in Australia. That is where he learned his foundation in warehousing and distribution as well as logistics. Andrew loves being the intermediate between operations and IT. He then went to work for a logistics manager with a pharmaceutical distributor and after a while their business was sold into a joint venture and Andrew went his own way. Following this, he ended up working for a business in Australia called Logistics Bureau. He drifted through subcontract roles consulting and doing project work, he then thought to himself he has to make this his own business and that's when Logistics Help was born. As time has gone on his business has continuously grown. Now he is looking at how he can serve the small and medium business that is very underserved at the moment. In the next few years a lot of his focus is going to be beginning technologies in the cloud to the e-commerce world.
Let's discuss Coronavirus from the logistics point of view - what was your experience with coronavirus over in Australia?
Australia has had a better experience as a whole with coronavirus largely due to its own geographical isolation and they shut down in terms of the curve very very quickly. They are worried about infections and not so many deaths because they have kept such a good lid on the virus. The country had a period of lockdown but have since emerged and is doing well with occasional cities going into lockdown if there is a flareup of infections.
What surprised you in terms of logistics?
There was a huge impact on the global supply chain as far as air freight goes. Air freight became super premium and prices tripped because a lot of air freight travels in the belly of passenger air crafts and people were no longer flying. Air freight capacity was restricted to those businesses that had their own dedicated cargo fleet. There was just a crazy markup on things like hand sanitizer and the amazing toilet paper debacle that came to be.
What processes changed throughout the pandemic?
Paper is obsolete in Australia right now everything is electronic. There is not a lot of contact in business deliveries. The hospitality industry took the biggest hit in Australia because they are a big tourism industry. The shutdown of this industry impacted all the way up the supply chain because the market just disappeared.
How do you think some businesses are going to respond to how they stock reacted during coronavirus?
There comes an opportunity to sell stock that you wouldn't normally sell. When the thing people want is out of stick they go and look at the old model. We are spoiled for choice and supply but when that is at risk you see hoarding and panic buying. This can turn a normal supply chain to a dysfunctional supply chain as seen in the toilet paper debacle.
Now that people have dealt with the availability crisis what is a good metric to measure where their slobs are?
It really is important to look at your slow moving and potentially obsolete inventory. You look at the sales rate of your product and decide if it's critical and needs to be kept on the shelves or if you can wait a week to order it from your supplier. An obsolete piece of inventory is inventory that will not sell at all, leaving it there can clog up your warehouse and is not worth it. If something hasn't sold for 3 months then you should be looking at how to get rid of it. Think of it as a tenant that does not pay rent.
What technology do you think is going to be vital in a warehouse to accelerate e-commerce?
It starts off with a web store where they print the orders and look for the stock in the warehouse. That is the ultimate non scalable process. The typical route now is to use an inventory management system that is given additional functionality in terms of order management and imagery management. The next level that is usually missing from small and medium business is the warehouse management system. What a warehouse management system does is it is specifically designed to run your warehouse. This ties into all your other system and increases efficiency.
The future of the supply chain is going to be personal - where do you think it is going to be felt the most in business?
Retail is the big evolution from physical stores to personal delivery. It's not just retail it is also in B to B. Anything that an individual uses within a business has the potential to go down to the personal level. What that does in the supply chain is make it much more complex and makes the process more labor-intensive. The level of effort is so much higher but at the end of the day it is more cost effective and has less waste. In the future Andrew believes we are going to see more crowd-sourced freight.
What should organizations be doing to future-proof their supply chain in the new normal?
The cloud is the big trend in software right now. The cloud gives you easy connectivity that is just not possible any other way. You could do all your electronic ordering and invoicing in the cloud and the friction gets removed. That is where the future is headed - into using the cloud.
Audio only version
Innovative managed transportation provider continues to invest in hiring and developing the best talent within the logistics space QUINCY, Mass — FreightPlus, a data-driven managed transportation solutions provider, announced Brendan Lawler has joined as Senior Manager of Strategic Planning and Customer Service. Lawler brings in over seven years of experience leading diverse, cross-functional teams in challenging, chaotic, and ambiguous environments. In his new role, Lawler will own all aspects of planning, optimizing, appointing, tracking and servicing customers’ freight. He looks forward to standardizing the planning and customer service functions within the department and incrementally improving the throughput of the team through process improvement and technology integration. “I am energized by the opportunity to help continue FreightPlus’s growth as a data-driven transportation management solutions provider,” says Lawler. “I’m eager to use my experience in leading teams toward operational excellence to enhance the customized service for our clients. FreightPlus's mission to ‘simplify complex logistics together’ embodies the people-driven culture that I value so deeply. I look forward to joining a company that is team-focused and has a proven track record of transforming ideas into innovative solutions that create sustainable impact.” Lawler previously served as a Captain in the Marine Corps and as Senior Operations Manager within Amazon Transportation Services, where he focused on driving operational excellence and utilizing new technology to drive process improvements. In his tenure, he was responsible for developing and implementing new network-level process improvements for both under-the-roof (UTR) and over-the-road (OTR) operations, as well as spearheading the effort of optimizing the synchronization of warehouse and transportation operations. With revenue and employee count quadrupling over the past five years, FreightPlus was listed no. 184 on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America in 2022. Chief Operating Officer Ben Graeff comments, “I am so excited to welcome Brendan to FreightPlus. Brendan brings a deep background in operational excellence from his time in the Marine Corps and Amazon Transportation. He is a quiet leader that leads by example, lives in the day-to-day details, and is the exact right person to help us scale our operation and customer service teams through our continued growth.” About FreightPlus FreightPlus is an industry provider of data-driven transportation management, offering businesses customized and fully tailored managed transportation solutions in a boutique environment where clients get the individual attention they deserve. FreightPlus combines first class customer service with innovative technology and industry best practices to help mid-size and growing companies work efficiently in the $800B domestic transportation market. Visit FreightPlus.io for more information. ### Media Contact: Courtney Conyers Marketing & Communications cconyers@freightplus.io
For the 2nd Time, FreightPlus Appears on the Inc. 5000, Ranking No. 184 on the List of Fastest-growing Privately Held Companies in America FreightPlus recognizes a three-year revenue growth rate of 2,846% NEW YORK, August 16, 2022 – Today, Inc. revealed that FreightPlus is No. 184 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000. “We are honored to be featured on the annual Inc. 5000 list for the second year in a row,” said Stephen Aborn, FreightPlus Chief Executive Officer. “This award and our ranking reflect the continuous dedication from our team to providing our customers with the people, technology and processes to build best-in-class logistics programs. We are thrilled to be recognized as we strive to bring customer-centric and innovative solutions to the world of logistics.” The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have not only been successful, but have also demonstrated resilience amid supply chain woes, labor shortages, and the ongoing impact of Covid-19. Among the top 500, the average median three-year revenue growth rate soared to 2,144 percent. Together, those companies added more than 68,394 jobs over the past three years. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000 . The top 500 companies are featured in the September issue of Inc. magazine, which will be available on August 23. “The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated,” says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. “Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today.” About FreightPlus FreightPlus is an industry provider of data-driven transportation management offering businesses customized and fully tailored managed transportation solutions in a boutique environment where clients get the individual attention they deserve. FreightPlus combines first class customer service with innovative technology and industry practices to help mid-size and growing companies work efficiently in the $800B domestic transportation market. Visit https://www.freightplus.io/ for more information. Media Contact: Courtney Conyers cconyers@freightplus.io
Innovative managed transportation provider brings on LTL industry leader to continue to support rapid growth QUINCY, Mass — FreightPlus, a data-driven managed transportation solutions provider, has announced the expansion of their company with the hiring of Curtis Garrett, joining as Senior Vice President of LTL. Garrett will focus on improving carrier relationships and interactions through utilizing technology and strategic processes. With revenue and employee count quadrupling over the past five years, FreightPlus was named the second-fastest growing privately held company in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal. FreightPlus was also listed as the 783 rd fastest-growing company on the 2021 Inc 5000 list. CEO Stephen Aborn commented, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Curtis. Expanding our team with his experience is a great step in the right direction for FreightPlus as we continue to look for the most innovative and ambitious thinkers in the logistics space.” Garrett brings fifteen years of LTL experience prior to joining FreightPlus, including eight with ODFL in operations, driving, pricing, yield, and W&I. Since departing from ODFL, he has spent six years on the 3PL, software and consulting side of the industry, recently serving as Vice President of Pricing and then Chief Strategy Officer at Reconex. Garrett is fascinated with technology and is truly a student of the industry. Having overseen hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue on the business profitability side, as well as pricing and carrier relationships and procurement, Garrett is more determined than ever to break down silos and get everyone on the same playing field. “I am beyond excited to join FreightPlus”, said Garrett on his new role. He continued, “from what I have witnessed, this company has all the right parts and pieces – customer obsession, innovation, and grit – to do big things in the freight industry and I could not be more excited to be a part of it.” About FreightPlus FreightPlus is an industry provider of data-driven transportation management offering businesses customized and fully tailored managed transportation solutions in a boutique environment where clients get the individual attention they deserve. FreightPlus combines first-class customer service with innovative technology and industry practices to help mid-size and growing companies work efficiently in the $800B domestic transportation market. Visit https://www.freightplus.io/ for more information. Media Contact: Courtney Conyers cconyers@freightplus.io
FreightPlus has been named to Boston Business Journal's exclusive 2022 Fast 50 list for the first time.
Innovative managed transportation provider continues to invest in executive team to support the company’s rapid growth. QUINCY, Mass — FreightPlus, a data-driven managed transportation solutions provider, announced Ben Graeff has joined as Chief Operating Officer, the first in company history. Graeff will be responsible for the company’s operational, managerial, and product strategy, as well as driving day to day and quarterly results and innovation in FreightPlus’ next stage of scale and growth. With revenue and employee count quadrupling over the past five years, FreightPlus was named to The Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America in 2021. CEO Stephen Aborn commented, “I am thrilled to welcome Ben to FreightPlus. His natural ability to lead and his experience scaling large businesses at the intersection of technology and operations will be invaluable to our growth story. Every person or partner that works with Ben will be better for it.” Graeff brings over 10 years of experience building technology and businesses at Amazon. Prior to joining FreightPlus, he served as Sr. Manager, Product Management and Data Analytics within Amazon Transportation Services. During his tenure, Graeff was responsible for P&L ownership in Amazon’s consumer retail division, developing new software and customer experiences for Amazon Prime, as well as product development and business results in operations and logistics across the globe. “I am excited to join a company whose mission embodies solving complex problems in partnership with its customers,” said Graeff on his new role. He continued, “Like all great organizations , FreightPlus is powered by its people. I’m eager to join this growing team and blend my experience in building and developing organizations with delivering fast-paced results through people, process and technology. FreightPlus’ commitment to driving long-term partnerships, cost savings and strong service for our customers aligns closely to my core values. I look forward to continuing to build the products, processes, programs and technologies to drive FreightPlus’ future growth as a data-driven transportation management service.” About FreightPlus About FreightPlus FreightPlus is an industry provider of data-driven transportation management offering businesses customized and fully tailored managed transportation solutions in a boutique environment where clients get the individual attention they deserve. FreightPlus combines first-class customer service with innovative technology and industry practices to help mid-size and growing companies work efficiently in the $800B domestic transportation market. Visit https://www.freightplus.io/ for more information. Media Contact: Courtney Conyers cconyers@freightplus.io
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